1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a network structure, and more particularly to a method for providing services in an IP-based network system.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a structure of a general home network.
Generally, home appliances include information devices such as personal computers, facsimile machines, scanners and printers, A/V devices such as TVs, set-top boxes, DVDs, VCRs, audio components, camcorders and household game machines, control devices such as coffee makers, electric cooking machines, refrigerators, washing machines, microwave ovens and cameras, and dummy devices such as remote controllers, interphones, sensors and lamps.
As shown in FIG. 1, the home appliances are connected within a home network by USB, IEEE1394, a telephone line, a power line, a wireless LAN and Bluetooth.
Since the devices within a home network establish a plurality of different sub-networks, and each device operates on different hardware and software platforms, it is quite difficult to construct a home network.
A method for constructing a home network suggested under these circumstances is to establish a virtual computing environment called “middleware” on the home appliances and provide applications thereon.
FIG. 2 is a table illustrating a protocol stack of a home network using middleware.
The middleware is software for device communications between devices of different kinds that enables diverse devices to communicate with one another.
The middleware is positioned between an operating system and an application program, and transparently connects dispersed applications and data under a service client service server environment. More specifically, the middleware independently connects hardware along the network to assist a variety of communication protocols, system structures, OS, databases and application programs. Among these, HAVi (Home AV Interoperability) uses a separate protocol stack that is designed based on IEEE1394, but it is insufficient for internetworking.
UpnP (Universal Plug and Play) and JINI, which use a TCP/IP protocol for internetworking as well as for networking between PCs and peripheral devices of the PCs, are also insufficient for transmission of data (audio/video data) in real time between digital home appliances.
Most of the time, the owners and users of home networks are not skilled at building and maintaining the networks. Accordingly, a home network that can be easily constructed is required.
Also, a home network that can receive services anytime and anywhere from the devices within the home network is also critical.